CETS 201 – Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, 25.X.2007
__________________________________________________________________________________
Also bearing in mind the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, especially
Article 34 thereof, the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child
pornography, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially
Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime, as well as the International Labour Organization Convention concerning the
Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour;
Bearing in mind the Council of the European Union Framework Decision on combating the
sexual exploitation of children and child pornography (2004/68/JHA), the Council of the
European Union Framework Decision on the standing of victims in criminal proceedings
(2001/220/JHA), and the Council of the European Union Framework Decision on combating
trafficking in human beings (2002/629/JHA);
Taking due account of other relevant international instruments and programmes in this field, in
particular the Stockholm Declaration and Agenda for Action, adopted at the 1st World
Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (27-31 August 1996), the
Yokohama Global Commitment adopted at the 2nd World Congress against Commercial
Sexual Exploitation of Children (17-20 December 2001), the Budapest Commitment and Plan
of Action, adopted at the preparatory Conference for the 2nd World Congress against
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (20-21 November 2001), the United Nations
General Assembly Resolution S-27/2 “A world fit for children” and the three-year programme
“Building a Europe for and with children”, adopted following the 3rd Summit and launched by
the Monaco Conference (4-5 April 2006);
Determined to contribute effectively to the common goal of protecting children against sexual
exploitation and sexual abuse, whoever the perpetrator may be, and of providing assistance
to victims;
Taking into account the need to prepare a comprehensive international instrument focusing
on the preventive, protective and criminal law aspects of the fight against all forms of sexual
exploitation and sexual abuse of children and setting up a specific monitoring mechanism,
Have agreed as follows:
Chapter I – Purposes, non-discrimination principle and definitions
Article 1 – Purposes
1
2
The purposes of this Convention are to:
a
prevent and combat sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children;
b
protect the rights of child victims of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse;
c
promote national and international co-operation against sexual exploitation and sexual
abuse of children.
In order to ensure effective implementation of its provisions by the Parties, this Convention
sets up a specific monitoring mechanism.
Article 2 – Non-discrimination principle
The implementation of the provisions of this Convention by the Parties, in particular the
enjoyment of measures to protect the rights of victims, shall be secured without discrimination
on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national
or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth, sexual orientation, state of
health, disability or other status.
2